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BTCC 2012 Index

Boardman takes first BTCC win after Plato clash

BTCC News | Sun 4th September 2011

Tom Boardman recorded his first win in the BTCC, but it is Gordon Shedden who emerged from an action-packed third race at Knockhill with the championship lead.

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By Matt Lamprell

Jason Plato was the beneficiary of the reverse grid pole position for the first time since April 2009 and he was out to make amends for two disappointing races earlier in the day. However, it didn’t start well for Plato. His Chevrolet Cruze looked set to move before the lights went out, but he managed to prevent too much creeping. However, that meant his getaway was not as well timed as those around him. Starting second, Tom Boardman tried to go around the outside of Plato at Seat Curve, but the double champion managed to get going in time to hold on. Rob Collard held his third place starting slot, ahead of Tom Chilton and Frank Wrathall.

Boardman, in the NGTC-powered S2000 Seat Leon, continued to pressurise Plato, but there was no obvious way past. Paul O’Neill was an early retirement in the Tech-Speed Chevrolet, while Andy Neate was handed a drive-through penalty.

At the front, Plato’s mirrors were full of the black Boardman Seat. As the pair started their fourth lap, Boardman gave the Chevrolet a tap on the way into the first corner, followed by a second touch as they went round the right-hander. The latter was enough to put Plato sideways. While he was able to recover enough to get his nose pointing down the hill again, there was no way he could stay off the grass, eventually coming to grief in the tyre wall on the inside of the circuit.

Visibly angry, Plato rapidly exited the car and made his way back to the pits before leaving the track. The clash will be reviewed by the BTCC’s stewards at Rockingham in two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, Boardman now led the race behind the safety car, which was deployed while Plato’s car was recovered. Rob Collard was up to second, with Chilton third and Wrathall fourth.

The race was set to restart on lap seven, but there was drama as the safety car pulled off. Boardman dropped off the back of the Porsche as he approached the hairpin, slowing the pace right down. The Seat’s reduction in speed was such that the pack behind was caught out. Collard, Chilton and Wrathall were all able to slow sufficiently, but that was not the case further down the order. Dave Newsham’s Seat only missed the leaders by taking to the grass on the outside of the track, while others were less fortunate. The biggest casualty was BTCC debutant Aron Smith, who made contact with his Triple Eight teammate, James Nash. Smith’s Vectra suffered front end damage that put him out of the race. There was minor contact elsewhere, including Matt Neal on the back of Wrathall’s Toyota, but all were able to continue.

The race finally resumed on lap 10, with Boardman ahead of Collard, Chilton, Wrathall, Neal and Shedden. Chilton’s third place quickly came under threat from Matt Neal and before long, both Neal and Wrathall were past the Ford.

While Chilton was dropping down the order, another Ford was climbing. Airwaves Racing’s Mat Jackson started from the back of the grid after his race two DNF. Rapid progress in the early stages, along with the various retirements, had brought him up to seventh place by the mid-point of the race. Tom Chilton was Jackson’s next target, with Shedden and Neal just ahead. However, Jackson, who came to Knockhill as the championship leader, was destined to head home without a single points-scoring race finish to his name (although he did pick up a point for fastest lap in race two). As he approached the hairpin on lap 22, Jackson hit the back of Chilton, who in turn ran into Shedden and Neal ahead of him. While the impact appeared minimal, it was enough to damage a wiring loom on the Airwaves Focus and Jackson could do nothing more than pull off the track into retirement.

At the front, Boardman continued to lead, but Collard was showing impressive pace in the WSR BMW and it seemed just a matter of time before he made his move. However, despite closing right up on the Seat on several occasions, Collard just couldn’t get alongside, let alone in front. The former Independent champion couldn’t afford to risk too much, with Frank Wrathall right behind him looking to build on his already impressive weekend.

Collard kept trying all the way to the final corner of the final lap, but there was no way past. Boardman climbed the hill to clinch his first BTCC victory, some 11 seasons after making his debut. Collard crossed the line second, with Wrathall third, completing the most successful weekend to date for an NGTC car.

Matt Neal finished fourth, ahead of teammate Shedden, but not before the pair had shared a gentle touch or two. Sixth place went to Tom Chilton, with Andrew Jordan seventh, Tom Onslow-Cole eighth and Nick Foster ninth. Alex MacDowall completed a miserable weekend for Chevrolet in tenth place.

Gordon Shedden leads the championship on 182 points – just one point ahead of Matt Neal on 181. Mat Jackson is third on 159, with Plato fourth on 147. James Nash rounds out the top five with 135 points.

The championship heads to Rockingham in two weeks time, over the weekend of 18/19 September.

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